1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to gas analyzers. More specifically, the present invention is directed to a thermochromatographic capillary column for use in a gas chromatography apparatus.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Analytical chemical detectors have been miniaturized into small portable packages to produce field testing devices. In the case of a gas chromatograph, however, further miniaturization has been limited by the need to provide heating means, e.g., an oven, for uniformly and quickly heating a capillary chromatographic column. Such capillary columns do not lend themselves to conventional coil wrapping techniques for superimposing a resistance heater wire on the column, while the use of a space consuming oven is a major factor in preventing the reduction of the gas chromatagraph to a size having a maximized portability, e.g., wrist watch size. The present invention is effective to produce a heated capillary column while avoiding the aforesaid limitations of the prior art to maximize the speed and uniformity of the column's thermal response in a miniature and easily reproducible capillary column structure.